The present invention is directed to seat track assemblies for motor vehicles, and more particularly to improvements in lock mechanisms for releasably holding the seat track assembly in a fixed position.
Seat adjusters are often used in seat assemblies for selectively adjusting the position of a vehicle seat. Typically a first seat track is fixed to a vehicle structure, such as a floor, and a second seat track is supported on the first track for sliding movement relative to the first track member such that the seat position can be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the vehicle. In conventional motor vehicle seats, normally at least two fixed tracks, spaced apart from one another, are used, with each fixed track receiving a corresponding sliding track. The adjustment of the seat assembly is controlled by a mechanical actuator, an electrical actuator, or an electromechanical actuator.
Manual seat adjusters often provide horizontal seat adjustment through the use of a towel bar or other release handle which engages a latch. The towel bar typically has a handle portion which is located at the front of the seat, directly below a seat bottom cushion. The towel bar is typically pivoted on a pivot member affixed to the sliding seat track and located behind the handle portion. The pivot member can be a pin, a tab, or a rivet. Typically the latch has teeth which engage windows in the fixed track or vice versa, such that the latch has windows which engage teeth on the track. When an operator pulls up on the towel bar, the latch is urged out of engagement with the fixed tracks, permitting comfort adjustment.
While such towel bar and latch designs are common today, they can have problems with noise, complexity of parts and overall cost. It would be desirable to have a seat adjustment assembly with a towel bar mounting configuration that, reduces noise, and improves seat robustness at reduced cost.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat track assembly which is of simple construction and low cost, and which eliminates the need for a separate pivot member and separate latch. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a seat track assembly that is highly reliable in operation and which can be manufactured efficiently. Additional objects and optional features of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure and detailed discussion of preferred embodiments.
In accordance with a first aspect seat track assembly for mounting a seat within a vehicle comprises a first seat track and a second seat track slidable relative to the first seat track along a longitudinal axis, and an actuator comprising a central handle, at least one leg extending from the central handle, and a distal end portion. The actuator is movable between a locked position where the distal end portion engages the first seat track to lock the second seat track with respect to the first seat track, and an unlocked position where deflection of the leg moves the distal end portion out of engagement with the first seat track, thereby allowing sliding adjustment of the second seat track with respect to the first seat track.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a towel bar has a central handle, the leg extends generally perpendicular from the central handle, and a distal end portion extending generally perpendicular from the leg. The towel bar is movable between a locked position where the distal end portion engages the first seat track to lock the second seat track with respect to the first seat track, and an unlocked position where the distal end portion moves out of engagement with the first seat track.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the first seat track has at least one first opening and the second seat track has a second opening. The actuator is movable in the second opening between a locked position wherein the actuator engages the first opening to lock the second seat track with respect to the first seat track, and an unlocked position where the actuator is disengaged from the first opening, and the first opening and the second opening are coaxially aligned when the actuator is in the locked position.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a biasing mechanism is a fixed member which biases the actuator out of engagement with the first seat track as the actuator moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.